Windows 10: Windows 10 fails to activate after a motherboard change despite the troubleshooter.

Today, I upgraded both my motherboard and CPU (Along with a few case fans though I doubt that's relevant), and reinstalled Windows 10 Home Edition on my SSD to be certain that I'd have no issues.


Before doing so, I absolutely double-checked that under activation, my old installation of Windows 10 said it was linked to a Microsoft account - So that I could reactivate it later from that.


However, when I finally did get around to trying to reactivate with the new installation, it threw an error message at me - 0xC004F213, indicating it hadn't found a license on my PC. That wasn't a surprise, and I clicked the trouble-shooter, told it I'd made a hardware change - And it had my PC listed, with its old name and all. It gave me the option to activate however whenever I do this, it just fails immediately.


"Unable to activate Windows.


We can't activate Windows on this device. Try again later."


Is this something I need to be concerned about, is there a way around it? I don't particularly wish to run an ingenuine version of Windows 10, though I will if I have to given the £120 costs to buy a new license. So far as I'm concerned, I haven't gone beyond what I was supposed to do - The account has a license, it just won't activate mine from it.


Cheers

:)

 

Windows 10 fails to update


When you finish testing the Avast suggestion, make sure that you restart your machine.

Then if the issue persists, please return to the trouble shooting list in post# 89

I think there are three steps that remain; the WU troubleshooter, reset WU components, and manual WU reset.

 

Windows need activation after motherboard changed, fail to connect to server after troubleshooting for hardware change

If you original had an OEM copy or upgraded from OEM version of Windows to Windows 10, then the license would be invalidated with the motherboard change.

You could try your luck using chat support:

• Activate Your Windows 10 License via Microsoft Chat Support

 

no longer activated after motherboard change. activation troubleshooter not connecting

That depends on what type of license you have of Windows 7/8/10.

If Windows 7/8/10 came preinstalled on the computer, that is called an OEM license. For an OEM license, the license dies as soon as Motherboard dies. So essentially it is non-transferable. If that is the case you need to get a new license.

However, this is not same for retail licenses i.e. you purchased the license through Microsoft store. That does carry transfer rights. If that is the case, please see the below steps:

What you need to do is to grab the key using any Software like Showkey Plus, uninstall that key from older PC and use it on another computer.

Download Showkey Plus:

ShowKeyPlus - Windows 10 Forums

Uninstall the key

https://winaero.com/blog/how-to-deactivate-windows-10-and-change-the-product-key/

Use the key by Showkey Plus on the newer computer.

Alternatively, there are two more options available other than this:

• Contact Microsoft at http://www.support.microsoft.com/contactus through chat support. They would take control of your PC and activate(might need a proof of purchase)
• Use the Activation troubleshooter on the new PC signed in with same MS account.
  
  Go to Settings>Update and security>Activation and run the troubleshooter.
  
  Select I recently changed hardware on this device.